Brent Venables, entering his fourth season as Oklahoma’s head football coach, has launched an aggressive overhaul of both his roster and coaching staff in a high-stakes effort to revitalize the Sooners after back-to-back disappointing campaigns.
Facing unprecedented pressure as the program transitions deeper into the SEC, Venables has leaned heavily on the transfer portal and made strategic coaching hires, signaling a do-or-die approach for 2025.
The urgency stems from recent struggles – the team has gone 6-7 in two of Venables’ three seasons, including a rocky first year in the SEC. The offense ranked 97th nationally in scoring and struggled to move the ball consistently, while the defense allowed 21.5 points per game. These results have put Venables’ tenure under intense scrutiny.
Brent Venables Reloads Oklahoma With Big Names and Bold Moves To Save the Season
Oklahoma has emerged as one of the spring transfer portal’s biggest winners. The Sooners have been “having a strong offseason ahead of a year that could make or break Brent Venables’ time in Norman.”
The most high-profile addition is running back Jaydn Ott, a dynamic playmaker from California.
Chris Plank described Ott’s significance, saying, “If you were to rewind 365 days…everyone was talking about Jaden [Ott] being a guy that could be the top running back taken, and that shows you how highly he was thought of after the big season he had at Cal.”
BREAKING: Cal transfer RB Jaydn Ott has signed with the #Sooners.
The former Cal Golden Bear had 1,305 yards and 12 TD in 2023. Enormous pickup for Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/5kDLyefzqL
— Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) April 15, 2025
Another key acquisition is Stanford transfer Jake Maikkula, who is expected to compete for the starting center job. The Sooners also retained five-star defensive tackle David Stone, who briefly entered the portal before being persuaded to stay—a major recruiting victory for maintaining defensive depth.
Additional notable transfers include quarterback John Mateer (Washington State), the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 transfer class; elite pass rusher Marvin Jones Jr. (FSU/Georgia); safety Kendal Daniels (Oklahoma State); and multiple offensive linemen and receivers.
Venables has described his approach to the portal as holistic: “You’re looking at probably every position on your team. You say, ‘well we could use another guy there,’ and you really could…So we have our priorities…and see if we find anybody that can meet the needs and make us better immediately.”
Rebuilding the Coaching Brain Trust for SEC Success
Recognizing that staff changes were needed, Venables has assembled what is described as “probably the deepest defensive coaching staff in college football for the 2025 season after some recent additions.” Most significantly, Venables announced he will reclaim defensive play-calling duties.
“Since I was hired as head coach, we have carefully assembled the defensive personnel and scheme that is suited to compete at the highest level, and we’ve built a deep and talented roster ready for the moment…I will take over defensive play-calling responsibilities for the 2025 season,” Venables stated.
New hires include Nate Dreiling, who is the coach for inside linebackers, and Wes Goodwin, who is the coach for assistant linebackers/outside linebackers. Both bring experience as former defensive coordinators.
Explaining his decision to call defensive plays, Venables was direct: “I’m proficient at it. And I have confidence in my abilities. We have a fantastic coaching staff. If we want to achieve success, it’s going to be a collective effort from all of us, and someone needs to steer the ship.”
KEEP READING: Experts Praise Oklahoma Sooners’ Transfer Portal Haul on Both Sides of the Ball
The Sooners have also brought in Jim Nagy as general manager to build an NFL-style front office, focusing on scouting, valuation, and negotiation in the NIL and transfer portal era.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
